Blacknened silicone seal in bathroom

pollywolly71

What is the best way to tackle this? We get a lot of condensation in our bathroom (with 3 of us having regular showers) and the water runs down the window and collects on the sill. Looks like the silicone seal that is round the window sill is completely ruined and is going all black. Is it easy enough to replace it myself? :huh:

ic

You can scrape out and replace - but try cleaning it first. I use Domestos Grot Buster from time to time on the grout and silicon around my bath, and it brings it up like new everytime.

sunshinetours

Open window and get extractor installed and wipe up excess water in shower all will help reuce ongoing problem

pollywolly71

Thanks both, I'll maybe try cleaning it first, I've tried a few things and they didn't work so well. Not tried the Domestos stuff though, worth a go I think!

bobthedambuilder

If it's around the window, it may not be silicone. It could be acrylic (window) sealant. Either way, best to replace like for like. You should be able to tell when you try to remove it - silicone is quite stretchy, whereas acrylic is just soft and less flexible and will break if you try to stretch it. Acrylic's cheaper as well.

I usually push a sharp implement, (e.g. a screwdriver or stanley knife) into the sealant to dig the first bit out, then just work away at removing it in pieces. You can buy sealant remover at any of the DIY sheds, but I would tend to use that only for a final clean-up. Then (important) carefully clean the whole area where the new sealant is going to go with a degreaser (methylated spirits and clean kitchen roll tissues works for me), allow to dry and apply the new sealant. You can buy sealant in a ready-to-use pack, but it's cheaper to buy a reusable gun like this http://www.screwfix.com/p/p-c-cox-easiflow-gun/79714, which takes standard 310mm cartridges of any kind, then you just buy whichever cartridges you want. Cut the nozzle of the cartridge to suit the thickness of the sealing strip you want to place, and insert into the gun and away you go. The experts can finish a strip straight off, but I usually smooth it with a plastic tool or a wetted finger, and remove the surplus. You can clean up any further surplus when it's gone off (usually within 24 hours.

benjus

This stuff - http://www.diy.com/nav/rooms/indoor-cleaning-laundry/bins-cleaning-supplies/specialist_cleaning/-specificproducttype-limescale_removers/HG-Mould-Spray-0-5L-10287856 - worked wonders in my bathroom.

Don't expect it to all come off in the first application, but after repeated applications it came up pretty much good as new. I now spray it every month or two to keep it clean.

Green_box

The blackening is probably mould. Make sure you remove all of the sealant, use a sharp knife to scrape the last bits off, wash the area down with bleach and let it dry. Reseal the area with a mould resistant sealant and let it dry fully before use.

That said, now that you have it the mould will probably come back again in a few months so keep the remainder of the sealant in a safe place.